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Originally from: "Teresa Seputis" (TeresaS@xc.org)
Sometimes intercessors can get a bit confused between what is spiritual
warfare and what is just simply "day to day" life. I believe it is
important for us to be able to discern the difference if we desire to
pray effectively... we must not automatically assume that everything
unpleasant is spiritual warfare.
In day to day life, we are going to have our ups and downs. There will
be times that things go well for us and times that they do not go so well.
For instance yesterday I had a very hard day... one of my friends got
upset about something and took it out on me by attacking me in front of
some other friends. It was decidedly no fun for me and it hurt because
I thought she was a trusted friend... and she did something to me that did
not feel very trustworthy or friendly. I could have taken her apart right
there in the presense of the people she embarassed me in front of; but that
would not have been a very loving thing to do. She was really upset about
something and took it out on me... if I fought back, she would have simply
gotten more upset. I guess I happened to cross her path at percisely the
wrong time. I am sure that today or tomorrow she will call me and
apologize... All the same, it was a very unpleasant experience for me
and it pretty much ruined my evening.
Was that spiritual warfare? No, I don't think so. I think that was just
"real life". Real life has it's ups and downs. There are times that
unpleasant things happen to us. There are times when we fight with our
hubbies, where kids get rebellous, where we are misunderstood, where we get
sick, where we get treated unfairly by an employer, etc. This is everyday
life stuff that happens to everyone. It is a part of life. I don't think
we should blame everything that goes wrong or is unpleasant on spiritual
warfare.
There have also been times of intense spiritual warfare. The most graphic
illustration from my own life came in June of 1994. I was the prayer
coordinator for Santa Clara Valley March for Jesus. It was a very big
event and God did a lot of powerful things. About 8 thousand people
came out to participate.. several people shared there faith and alot of
folks got saved.. powerful prayers were going out for the community,
churches were laying aside denominational differences and joining together
in unity.. it was incredible. God came in power and the enemy suffered
a serious defeat. A counter attack came at the organizers and coordinators
of the event.. Martin and Barbara Bridges... As an intercessor, I saw (in
the spirit) the attack coming and stepped in to interceed. I guess I ended
up becoming the target. Within a 72 hour period, a series of castophries
happened to me... I got food poisoning from a vendor's hotdog and ended up
in the hospital. Got home and the next day my wedding ring was stolen.
I went to work the next day and was laid off.. I had another job lined up
(the other company had already hired me) and somehow that fell through on
the same day I was laid off and I was jobless twice in the same day. I went
home from being laid off to slice some meat... the knife slipped and cut
my thumb, sevoring the tendon and blood was squirting everywhere. I was
rushed to the hospital where I had to have an emergency surgery to save the
thumb and then be schedued for another surgery a few days later.
That was intense spiritual warfare -- the most intense I have ever encountered
in my whole life. I do understand that spiritual counter attacks come..
I've experienced them personally. Usualy they happen during or immediately
after some sort of major spiritual confrontation/event.. such as the March
for Jesus... typically counter attacks can happen anywhere up to two weeks
after an significant event or interncession... When we are under intense
counter-attack we need the support/intercession of other prayer warriors
who will stand in the gap for us... in fact, without this type of support
I might very well have died during those 72 hours immediately following
the June 1994 March for Jesus.
But that does not mean that every time something bad happens to us it is
a counter attack. Quite to the contrary, Jesus said that life will have
trials and tribulations. He encourages so to be of good cheer because He
has overcome the world and so have we (through Him).
I have noticed that it has become popular lately among intercessors to call
it a spiritual attack every time something goes poorly in our lives. But
sometimes what we are calling an attack is merely day to day life. And
sometimes it is the hand of God refining us. There are times when He
purposely allows hardship or adversity into our lives to refine us, to work
His character in us. There was a prophecy that came out once which had a
short section I'd like to quote here:
The main reason I am writing this post is to share my concerns
that we learn to discern real spiritual warfare attacks from God's hand
of refinement from everyday life ups-and-downs. If we are not careful
to keep things in prospective and if we give the enemy "glory" for
everything that happens in our lives, we will eventually be subsceptable
to an attitude (or orientation) of fear and intimidation. We want to keep
our focus on God and on moving with Him. We also want to have the ability
to perceive when He is doing a refining work in our lives and be able to
cooperate with Him instead of being busy fighting the devil (especailly
when it is not the devil we're actually fighting).
I don't know if I've expressed this very well.. if not, please forgive me.
But I urge you to seek God in each situation -- instead of assuming it is
spiritual warfare, go to Him and ask Him what is going on and how He would
have you respond. Then everything that happens to you will drive you
closer to Him and center you more on Him and on His will for you.
Blessings.
Originally dated: 17 Mar 1998 14:51:21 -0800
Do not run away from Me when the pressure comes... instead run to
Me. Do not assume it is always the enemy's hand against you... come
to Me and ask Me what is going on here. Ask if this is My hand and
how I would have you respond to it. If it is an attack of the enemy,
I promise to tell you and to show you how to rise up and fight and
overcome him in My stength. But if it is My Spirit working a deep
work in you, you must not resist ... the longer you resist Me, the
longer your affliction will go on.
- teresa
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